The Core Difference
Pabau and Aestheticc are both clinic management platforms built specifically for medical aesthetics. Unlike some comparisons on this page where we're comparing a beauty booking app to clinical software, this is a genuine head-to-head. Both platforms understand the aesthetics market, both handle consent forms and clinical records, and both are used by real UK clinics.
The difference comes down to scale and philosophy. Pabau has been around since 2012, has over 200 staff, serves clinics in nearly 40 countries, and has built a feature set that covers everything from prescription management to lab integrations to video conferencing. It is a big platform with a lot of surface area.
Aestheticc is newer, leaner, and deliberately simpler. Built by a doctor who ran aesthetic clinics, it focuses on getting the core clinic workflows right without burying you in configuration screens. It costs less, does less, and for many independent clinics, that's the point.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Aestheticc | Pabau | |---------|-----------|-------| | Built for medical aesthetics | Yes | Yes | | Digital consent forms | Yes | Yes (40+ templates) | | Before/after photos | Yes (comparison tools) | Yes (injection plotting, comparison) | | Online booking | Yes | Yes (with client portal) | | Payment processing | Yes (Stripe, Klarna) | Yes (Pabau Pay, tap-to-pay) | | Client records and CRM | Yes | Yes | | Treatment notes | Yes | Yes (with speech-to-text) | | SMS and email reminders | Yes | Yes | | Marketing automation | Yes | Yes (Marketing Plus add-on for advanced) | | Stock management | Planned | Yes | | Prescription management | No | Yes | | Lab integrations | No | Yes | | Video conferencing | No | Yes | | Injection plotting | Basic | Yes (detailed) | | Treatment intelligence (AI) | Yes | No | | Klarna / buy-now-pay-later | Yes (native) | Not confirmed | | Multi-location | Yes | Yes | | Mobile app | Yes | Yes (Pabau GO) | | Loyalty programmes | Basic | Yes | | Gift cards | Yes | Yes | | Staff rota and scheduling | Basic | Yes (detailed) | | Waitlist management | No | Yes | | UK compliance (GDPR) | Yes | Yes |
Pricing
| | Aestheticc | Pabau | |--|-----------|-------| | Solo practitioner | £39/month | £50/month (Starter, 100 client cap) | | Team | £69/month | Book demo for quote | | Client cap | None | 100 on Starter; unlimited on Solo+ | | Feature gating | No (all features included) | No (but add-ons for Marketing Plus, Care Plus, Insight Plus) | | Annual discount | N/A | Up to 20% | | Implementation fee | None | Not published |
Pabau's published pricing starts at £50/month for their Starter plan, which includes one user and a cap of 100 clients. Their Solo plan (unlimited clients) and larger team plans require booking a demo, so we cannot quote exact figures. Check pabau.com/pricing for current numbers.
Aestheticc pricing is public and fixed. £39/month for solo practitioners, £69/month for teams. Every feature included, no client caps, no tiers.
Pabau also offers optional add-ons (Marketing Plus, Care Plus, Insight Plus) that extend the platform further. The base price gets you a lot, but some advanced marketing and analytics features sit behind those extras.
The Complexity Trade-off
This is the honest conversation to have when comparing these two platforms. Pabau does more. That is a fact. Prescription management, lab integrations, video conferencing, detailed injection plotting, waitlist management, staff rotas with commissions and timesheets. If you need those features, Pabau has them and Aestheticc does not.
But more features come with more complexity. Multiple Pabau reviewers on Capterra and G2 mention the learning curve. One reviewer noted that "the platform offers so many features, it takes time to understand how everything connects and to customise it for your clinic's specific workflow." For larger clinics with dedicated admin staff, that is fine. For a solo practitioner juggling clients between treatments, it can feel like learning a second job.
Aestheticc takes the opposite approach: fewer features, less configuration, faster to learn. You lose some of Pabau's depth, but you gain simplicity and a lower price point.
Where Pabau is Strong
Feature depth. Pabau has spent over a decade building features. Stock management with batch tracking and expiry alerts, prescription handling, lab integrations, detailed staff management with commissions and payouts. If your clinic needs these, Pabau has them out of the box.
Scale and track record. Over 25,000 registered users across nearly 40 countries. Pabau is a proven platform with a large team (200+ employees) and years of iteration. That matters for stability and ongoing development.
Injection plotting. Pabau's injection mapping tools are detailed and well-regarded in the aesthetics community. You can mark injection points directly on photos and track them across treatments.
Bootstrapped and independent. Pabau has never taken outside funding. That means no venture capital pressure to chase growth over product quality. Both Pabau and Aestheticc share this trait.
Where Aestheticc Differentiates
Pricing transparency. £39/month, all features, no client caps, no tiers. You know what you're paying before you book a demo. Pabau's pricing beyond the Starter plan requires a conversation.
Simplicity. Fewer features, but the ones that are there are focused on what independent aesthetic clinics actually use every day. Less time in settings menus, more time with clients.
Treatment intelligence. AI-powered treatment pattern analysis, rebooking predictions, and client insights. This is not something Pabau offers.
Built by a practitioner. Designed by a doctor who ran aesthetic clinics. The workflows reflect clinical practice rather than software assumptions about clinical practice.
Klarna integration. Native buy-now-pay-later for higher-value treatments. Pabau's payment options are strong, but we have not been able to confirm Klarna support specifically.
When Pabau Makes Sense
- You need stock management, prescription handling, or lab integrations today
- You run a larger clinic with dedicated admin staff who can manage a complex platform
- You want a platform with a long track record and a large user base
- Detailed injection plotting is a core part of your clinical workflow
- You need advanced staff management with commissions, timesheets, and rota planning
When Aestheticc Makes Sense
- You are a solo practitioner or small team that values simplicity over feature count
- You want transparent, lower pricing with no client caps
- Treatment intelligence and AI-driven insights matter to your practice
- You need Klarna or buy-now-pay-later in your payment flow
- You prefer a platform you can learn in hours rather than weeks
- You want software designed from the ground up by someone who has run an aesthetic clinic
The Honest Take
Pabau is a serious competitor. It is not a generic booking tool that bolted on clinical features. It is a mature, purpose-built platform for medical aesthetics with a feature set that goes wider and deeper than Aestheticc in several areas. Dismissing it would be dishonest.
The case for Aestheticc is not "we do everything Pabau does." We do not. The case is: for independent UK aesthetic clinics that want clinical-grade software without the complexity and cost of a platform built to serve 40 countries across every healthcare vertical, Aestheticc offers a tighter, simpler, more affordable alternative.
If you are choosing between the two, try both. Pabau offers demos, Aestheticc offers a free trial. Use each for a week and see which one matches how you actually work.
Built by a doctor who ran aesthetic clinics. Try Aestheticc free.